Stock-car



(No Model.)

J. E. PIERCE.

STOCK GAR,

No. 311,781. Patented Feb. 8, 1885.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

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llNrrfEn STATES Parnnr FI IQE.

STOCK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,781, dated February 3, 1885.

Applicati n filed October 1, IFS l.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JONATHAN E. P11512013, a citizen of the United States, residing at Demings Bridge, in the countyof Matagorda and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in StoclrCars, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to that class of devices used for shipping stock,such as live cattle; and it has for its object to guard the cattle from such injury as is likely to occur to a car full of cattle by the sudden starting or stopping of the car; to furnish means for guiding the cattle into the proper compartment of the car, and to furnish means for working the device by a trailrhand on top of the ,car.

To this end my invention consists in the con struction and combination of certain parts of a stock-car, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying d rawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stoclecar, showing parts of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the car, the top be ing removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of a portion of a car, showing my central gate free to turn; and Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section showing the gate with its bars extended to lock it.

A represents the body of the car, which may be of any usual construction suitable to carry stock.

B is the usual sliding car-door, provided with upright slats, two of which, 0 C, are separated only sufficient to receive the gatebolts D.

E represents my gate provided with a central vertical shaft, 11, which is journaled in the top and bottom of the car to support the gate. This shaft Fis central in the gate, and its bearings are in the center of the car widthwise, and opposite to the centers of the side doors, B.

G is a segment of a toothed wheel secured to the gate near its top concentric with the shaft F.

H is a screw or worm engaging the teeth of segment G to turn the gate.

I is the worm-shaft extending to the outside of the car, where it is provided with a handwheel, J, by which the worm, and thereby the gate, may be turned either by a train-hand on (No model.)

the gate diagonally either way across the car 5 5 to the sides of the doors, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, so as to guide the cattle, on entering the car, first to fill one compartment and then the other. To sustain this gate, which serves as a central partition to keep the cattle from being thrown from end to end of the car by sudden starting and stopping, I have provideda series of bolts, D, to he slid out of both ends of the gate by the action of a rod, K, fitted to slide verticallyin the shaft F, and connected with the bolts D by bracelinksL andjoining-bars M. The vertical bars M and N are secured firmly to the bolts D, forming two separate frames, one each side of the central shaft. When the rod K is raised, it draws these frames toward each other and retracts the bolts D. \Vhen the rod is lowered, it separates the frames and extends the bolts D beyond the side bars of the gate. When the gate is square across the car, these bolts, projecting, will enter between the vertical bars 0 G of the doors and lock the gate, the doors being secured by hasps and staples in the usual manner. .VVhen the gate is set diagonal, it necessarily fails to fill the space between the diagonally-opposite sides of the doors. Therefore I have provided a bolt to the space between each pair of crossbars of the gate, to serve,when extended, as a bodily extension of the gate to fill the space. At the same time I have provided apertures P at each side of the doors to receive the extended bolts D, to lock the gate in a diagonal position, and to sustain it against the pressure of the stock. The rodK is provided witharinghandle, by which it may be operated by a train-hand on top of the car. Thus my device is convenient and effective in all the points stated. The worm and gear enable an attendant to turn the gate, even though stock may be pressing against it.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A gate vertically pivoted in a stock-car centrally opposite to the door thereof, and

means, substantially as described, for turning and securing the gate, as and for the purpose specified.

. 2. The combination, with a gate hung on vertical pivots in the centerof acar, of agear toothed segment secured to the gate concentric with its pivots, a worm engaging said gear, the shaft of the worm extending to the side of the car, near the top thereof, and a hand-wheel on the shaft outside the car, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with a series of bolts fitted to a gate to be extended beyond its side, and vertical bars joining the bolts, of a vertical rod fitted to slide in the gate, and bracelinks connecting the vertical rod with thesliding bolts.substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with a gate vertically pivoted in the center of a car opposite the centers of its side doors, and a series of bolts fitted to slide in the gate and project beyond the sides thereof, of two vertical bars secured in each door at a distance apart to receive the bolts between them while the gate is square across the car, and a series of apertures at each side of each door fitted to register with and'receive the bolts when the gate is diagonal to the car, as shown and described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JONATHAN E. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

SoLoN O. KEMoN, OHAs. A. PETTIT. 

